Registration will be held this week for kindergartners joining the Habersham County School System. Parents of incoming kindergartners may register their children at the following elementary schools from 4-7 p.m. on the following days:
March 18: Clarkesville ES, Demorest ES, and Woodville ES March 19: Cornelia ES, Fairview ES, and Hazel Grove ES March 20: Baldwin ES and Level Grove ES
Online registration must be completed in advance. The registration form is available at the Habersham County Schools website. You can also click here to access the form.
Submit registration forms to your child’s school on the assigned date. Make sure to bring your child’s birth certificate, social security number, immunization form (Form 3231), health exam form (Form 3300), proof of residency such as a utility bill, and a photo ID of the enrolling parent or guardian.
Anna Roberts, formerly of Clarkesville, is living her best life in Colorado bringing health and hope to those seeking relief from life's ailments. (photo submitted)
She is known for her holistic approach to life and living in an environment that promotes self-worth and the value of the whole health of people. It is her testimony that she also turned into an occupation to help others achieve their best self, a dream life she never understood existed until she found herself in it.
Family
Anna Roberts, daughter of Rope and Anne Roberts of Clarkesville, Georgia, lives in Colorado with her partner Bruno and two children, 3-year-old Eko and 11-month-old Lili.
“Both are vibrant children who love to dance, play music, sing, and eat fresh organic fruits and veggies!” Anna talked about her children with enthusiasm.
Bruno has a Kirtan band (devotional music) that she and the children enjoy participating in sometimes. “We love this time together, singing together while leading others to go inward to the love in their hearts.”
Anna, Lili, Bruno, and Eko in Colorado (Anna Roberts)
Anna’s journey to health started about 13 years ago when she was living in Telluride, Colorado. “I was serving burgers in Telluride, Colorado,” Roberts began. “Although super fun, it was not sustainable financially or physically.”
Where it began
Ironically, it was a three-legged dog that started it all. The dog belonged to one of her friends. One day, after a long hike, she was massaging the dog’s leg and felt being led through the words “do this” to study massage. And she did.
Roberts attended the Moutain Heart School of Bodywork and Transformation in Crested Butte, Colorado.
“Massage school was my ‘gateway modality’ as I like to put it. It opened my eyes and heart to the wonderful world of holistic health,” Roberts explained.
She began studying Yoga and became an instructor. It was then that Roberts discovered her real purpose and the steps toward her dream life started.
“I dove into regenerative nutrition to get to the root of my own health challenges such as inflammation, UTIs, ovarian cysts, ear infections, constipation, anxiety, and stress to name a few of the issues,” Roberts talked openly about her health problems. It is something she does not shy away from because of her deep belief in being real.
And, it is this openness that has enabled her to help so many people overcome their challenges as well.
Roberts in Colorado (Roberts)
Finding her dream
As a Regenerative Nutrition Coach, she fills her social media pages with comforting words of encouragement. “We are way too infinite to stay stuck in a box someone else created,” she wrote recently in her post.
It is her belief in organic superfoods that has taken her to a different level in her physical and mental health. Roberts calls herself the CEO of her own life. As a Regenerative Nutrition Coach, she can work from her home and be the stay-at-home mom she has always dreamed of being while maintaining the level of income she’s longed to have as well.
“The opportunities are endless. I am a part of a community of visionaries, impact leaders, and people who care about the planet and the health of those who live on it,” Roberts talked about her career and what it has afforded her.
The dangers we eat
She says she is a part of a mission the world needs more than ever. “We educate on the importance of clean, non-toxic food by bringing awareness to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup,” Roberts added. “In short, glyphosate is designed to kill life and unfortunately does not differentiate between an unwanted herb or the cells in our gut biome.”
Glyphosate is linked to autoimmune disease, leaky gut, celiac, autism, Parkinson’s, Dementia, depression, and the list goes on and on. Roberts said, “Our nation is getting sicker so the urgency to spread this message is at an all-time high. I am very proud to be a distributor of the only clinically certified natural product that was awarded a Gold Seal by the Detox Project as a glyphosate detox solution!”
(photo submitted)
Roberts’ mantra is simple but something she lives by daily, “We can only be as healthy as our soil.”
Success story
One of her favorite stories about a client who entrusted Roberts with her health is Asia’s. “After 30 days of a super-dense nutrition protocol while detoxing glyphosate, Asia shed 20 pounds, her acne cleared, her mental fog lifted, energy revived, and all the unhealthy cravings she had her entire life were gone,” Roberts remembered.
It is stories like this one and so many others that drive Roberts to continue in the field.
“I am so fulfilled when I get that text or receive a call saying ‘My headaches are gone!’ or ‘I lost x amount of weight already!’ or ‘I feel like myself again!’ And it is these comments that are the reason I love what I do.”
Change can be hard
Roberts recognizes that changes are difficult. She understands the discipline it takes because she went through those times; but, Roberts emphasizes the changes will navigate how life is lived and felt and continued.
“I am so proud to be a rebel in a world that wants to put me in a box of disempowerment so I may rely on corrupt systems,” Roberts expressed. “I walk boldly in the undeniable truth of my inner knowing. I am raising myself and my children to listen and trust the innate wisdom that will guide us on a path of expansion.”
If you would like to learn more about Anna Roberts and her life goals of whole health and wellness, you can contact her at [email protected].
Howell Reese Mendenhall IV, 22, passed away on March 11, 2024.
He was born on September 11, 2001, in Demorest, Georgia, to Cindy Ivester Mendenhall and Howell Resse Mendenhall III.
Survivors include mother Cindy Ivester Mendenhall; father Howell Reese Mendenhall III; grandmother Carol Mendenhall; sisters Naketa Nelms, Crystal (Nelms) Lance, and Shant’e Nelms; other siblings Brittany Henson Mendenhall, Michael Mendenhall, Austin Mendenhall, and Lexi Mendenhall, four nieces, two nephews, and one great-niece.
Reese was loved by everyone who met him. He never met a stranger. He was a kind-hearted and caring person. He was the biggest mama’s boy you’ve ever seen. He always looked after her and made sure she was taken care of. He enjoyed reading, gaming, and spending time with his friends, the nerd squad. He will be missed by his loved ones and friends.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2024, in the chapel at White Funeral Home, 446 Homer Road, Commerce, Georgia, 30529. (706) 335-0614
Major General Richard Wilson succeeds MG Thomas Carden as head of the Georgia National Guard. Wilson is a 1993 graduate of North Georgia College (now the University of North Georgia) in Dahlonega. (Governor's Office photo)
Two alumni of Georgia’s military college in Dahlonega have been tapped to lead the state’s National Guard.
On Friday, Gov. Brian Kemp named Major General Richard “Dwayne” Wilson as the incoming adjutant general (AG) for the Georgia National Guard. Kemp appointed Col. Jason Fryman to serve as assistant AG.
Col. Jason Fryman is the new chief of staff of the Georgia National Guard. He is a 1996 graduate of North Georgia College. (Governor’s Office photo)
Wilson is a 1993 graduate of North Georgia College (now the University of North Georgia). Fryman is a 1996 graduate of the school.
Wilson, who currently serves as assistant AG, will take over as commander on May 4. He succeeds Major General Thomas Carden who has been appointed deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.
Col. Fryman currently serves as chief of staff for the Georgia Army National Guard.
The White County Sheriff’s Office has reported a recent wave of scams targeting residents. Scammers pretending to be law enforcement are demanding payment over the phone for alleged offenses such as failure to appear in court or missed jury duty.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be an employee of the White County Sheriff’s Office is advised to hang up immediately and then call the sheriff’s office at 706-865-5177 to verify the identity of the person calling.
Deputies will never demand payment over the phone to settle any alleged issues and will always provide residents with a written bill stating the amount of any alleged fines or fees, according to a notice on the agency’s Facebook page.
Anyone who receives a suspicious call like this is advised to report it to the sheriff’s Oofice online at www.whitecountywa.gov/news/recent-scam- targeting- residents
Georgia State School Superintendent Dr. Richard Woods with Holly Witcher at Tesnatee Gap Elementary School in White County on Friday, March 15, 2024. (Tesnatee Gap Elementary School / Facebook)
White County teacher Holly Witcher has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year award. Witcher, who teaches special education at Tesnatee Gap Elementary School, joins Chestatee High School teacher Steven McIntyre as one of ten finalists statewide.
State School Superintendent Dr. Richard Woods surprised Witcher at her school on Friday to let her know she’d been selected as a finalist.
Witcher was White County’s District Teacher of the Year in 2023. She holds a master’s degree in education and has dedicated herself to becoming a lifelong educator and learner. She has earned endorsements in the gifted field and as a teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Witcher also earned a teacher support specialist service certificate, which provided her with the knowledge to mentor other new teachers in the county.
In addition to teaching in traditional public schools, Witcher taught online for ten years at Georgia Cyber Academy, where she served as a lead teacher for four years and as Elementary School Assistant Administrator of Special Programs for four years.
She was named Teacher of the Year for her school in Rockdale County in 2006.
Former WAGA-TV employee up for TOTY
Dr. Richard Woods surprised Chestatee High School CTAE teacher Steven McIntyre with a certificate on March 8, 2024, recognizing him as a finalist for Georgia’s 2025 Teacher of the Year award. (Georgia Dept. of Education/Facebook)
Another Northeast Georgia teacher, Steven McIntyre, was selected as a finalist for Georgia’s 2025 Teacher of the Year award. He teaches CTAE: Audio Video and Film Tech at the school.
McIntyre holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Georgia and will complete a Specialist in Education degree there in May.
Before teaching, McIntyre spent 12 years working in the broadcast television industry, spending most of his career at WAGA FOX 5 Atlanta.
Other Georgia TOTY finalists
Other finalists in the running to become Georgia’s 2025 Teacher of the Year include:
Daisha Taylor, 5th-grade math and science teacher at Church Street Elementary School in Clayton County
Leigha Burnham, Library Media & Technology Specialist at Summerville Middle School in Chattooga County
Ashleigh Wright, social studies teacher at Southeast Bulloch High School in Bulloch County
Alicia Reno, 3rd-5th STEM/STEAM at Talley Street Upper Elementary School in City Schools of Decatur
Crystal McDowell, AP biology, human anatomy and physiology, and genetics teacher at Greenbrier High School in Columbia County Schools
Jennifer Cofield, 12th-grade literature and 9-12 ESOL teacher at Morgan County High School
Ashley Young, 8th-grade teacher at Lanier County Middle School in Lanier County Schools.
The tenth and final finalist is set to be revealed later this month.
The finalists will meet with a panel of judges for formal speeches and interviews before the Georgia Teacher of the Year is selected.
Camron Chennault of Decatur faces drug and traffic charges. (White County Sheriff's Office)
A 26-year-old from Decatur is facing drug charges after authorities say they found marijuana and cocaine in his vehicle during a traffic stop north of Cleveland.
Marijuana and cocaine deputies say they seized during a traffic stop near Cleveland, Georgia, on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (White County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
Camron Elijah Chennault was arrested and taken to the White County Jail on charges of failure to maintain lane, speeding, DUI (drugs), possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of cocaine.
Deputies say they seized over 5 pounds of marijuana and a small bag of cocaine from inside Chennault’s vehicle.
The traffic stop and arrest happened before dawn on Thursday, March 14, on the Helen Highway at Hulsey Road.
Stephens County deputies, Georgia State Patrol troopers, and K9 Lady appear in this photo taken following the apprehension of chase suspect Dakota Lee Meister. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/ Facebook)
Authorities have released new details about the two-county chase that led to the arrest of a Dawsonville man late Thursday night. Authorities say 29-year-old Dakota Meister initiated the chase through Habersham and Stephens counties when he failed to stop for a traffic stop in Habersham County.
“The initial reason for the traffic stop was expired registration and no insurance,” says Habersham County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Rob Moore.
Resident calls 911
The chase continued into Stephens County. Deputies there were initially told the suspect they were chasing had felony murder warrants originating out of Hall County. However, it was later discovered that was not the case, according to information released by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon.
The chase briefly ended when Stephens County deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers lost sight of the motorcycle on Dicks Hill Parkway. A resident in the Ayersville Road area called 911 to report the suspect had abandoned his motorcycle on Foxfire Road and fled into the woods.
Pursuing officers quickly established a perimeter to contain Meister. Deputies from Stephens and Banks counties deployed drones equipped with infrared technology to assist in finding him.
Tracking Meister
29-year-old Dakota Meister of Dawsonville faces multiple charges in multiple jurisdictions. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office)
A K9 named Lady and her handler tracked Meister through the woods to railroad tracks in the area and found him lying in a ditch near Ben Loudermilk Road.
A photo shared to the Stephens County Facebook page shows the K9 unit and other officers taking Meister into custody. According to the Georgia State Patrol, Meister sustained minor injuries and was transported to Stephens County Hospital before being booked at the county jail.
According to Moore, the Dawsonville man is wanted on several outstanding warrants in Hall and Dawson counties and another county in the region. However, it remains unclear what those warrants are for.
In addition to the outstanding warrants, Meister faces charges from all three agencies involved in the pursuit.
Mary Leona Shore, age 99, of Baldwin, passed away on Friday, March 15, 2024.
Born on January 4, 1925, in Hall County, she was a daughter of the late Charles Clyde Masters and Maude Roberts Masters. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Jim William Shore, who died on December 28, 1999.
Leona’s Testimony and Quote: “God had a plan for me. He called me to sing more than one time at Mt. Zion Church. Jim, my husband, started helping me sing. God opened the doors in so many places. That was our life for 35 years. It was such a joy to sing for His Glory.”
Leona’s passion was singing and playing the guitar. She and Jim sang Gospel music and several songs she composed at churches, homecomings, and festivals. Leona loved to minister in song and share the Gospel message with others. Mrs. Shore was a member of Mt. Zion Methodist Church.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Allen William Shore (Mary Yow Shore); grandchildren, Chad Allen Shore and Amanda Phyllis Shore Gosnell (Danny Gosnell); great-grandchildren, Luke Gosnell (Mari Graham Gosnell) and Clay Gosnell (Alaina Rising Gosnell); and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3:00 pm on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Mt. Zion Methodist Church, 145 Mt. Zion Church Road, Alto, Georgia 30510, with Rev. Anthony Shore officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 2:00 pm until the service hour on Monday at the church.
Pictured, left to right, are 2024 NGTC Vice President of Economic Development Leslie McFarlin, NGTC Adult Education Teacher of the Year Randy Wood, NGTC Adult Education Student of the Year Christie Campbell, Rotary President Bradley Cook, NGTC Dean of Adult Education Shelby Ward, and NGTC President John Wilkinson.
North Georgia Technical College (NGTC) has announced that Christie Campbell and Randy Wood have been named the winners of the 2024 NGTC Adult Education Student and Instructor of the Year awards.
Campbell, a student at the NGTC Franklin County Adult Education Center, completed her GED in January 2023 and is currently working as the catering director for Chick-fil-A of Lavonia.
Wood, a full-time NGTC Adult Education instructor, has taught day and evening high school equivalency preparation classes at the Currahee campus for three years. He also teaches at the Franklin County Adult Education Center.
Campbell and Wood will represent NGTC at the Dinah Culbreath Wayne Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) Leadership Institute later this month. This annual awards program, sponsored by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), recognizes excellence among adult education students and is designed to raise awareness of educational opportunities available to adult learners in communities across the state.
“Christie has worked tremendously, and we are so very proud of her accomplishments,” says NGTC Dean for Adult Education Shelby Ward. “She has a very bright future ahead! And Randy is such a dedicated instructor who goes above and beyond for his students. He provides quality instruction, utilizing all available technology, and we celebrate his wonderful achievement and are very proud of his excellent work with his students!”
Each of the 22 colleges in the TCSG selects EAGLE award winners. The statewide winner will be named during the leadership institute in Atlanta March 25-27.
Since its inception in 1993, the EAGLE Award program has recognized more than 1600 outstanding students across the state, according to the TCSG website.
Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade (right) has resigned from the Fulton County election interference case “in the interest of democracy.” (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
(Georgia Recorder) — A Fulton County judge ruled Friday that District Attorney Fani Willis and her whole office can either step aside from the 2020 election interference case or the special prosecutor who was involved in a romantic relationship with Willis can withdraw from the case.
And by Friday afternoon, the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, had submitted his resignation, WSB-TV first reported.
“The Court therefore concludes that the prosecution of this case cannot proceed until the State selects one of two options,” Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote in his highly anticipated ruling Friday morning.
“The District Attorney may choose to step aside, along with the whole of her office, and refer the prosecution to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council for reassignment … Alternatively, SADA (Nathan) Wade can withdraw, allowing the District Attorney, the Defendants, and the public to move forward without his presence or remuneration distracting from and potentially compromising the merits of this case.”
Defense attorneys had claimed Willis gave her boyfriend Wade a lucrative contract funded by taxpayers to be the lead prosecutor in the election case. Wade spent thousands of dollars on the couple’s travel to take vacations together on cruises out of the country, weekend trips out of state and other expenses, according to credit card receipts that fueled a dramatic twist in the court case against Trump and his allies.
Willis and Wade testified at a hearing on Feb. 15 that their romantic relationship began several months after he was hired for the case and ended last summer. Willis testified under oath that she paid for her share of travel costs in cash.
Wade has been paid about $700,000 since being appointed as special prosecutor in November 2021.
“Although the court found that ‘the defendants failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest,’ I am offering my resignation in the interest of democracy, in dedication to the American public, and move this case forward as quickly as possible,” Wade wrote in his resignation letter, according to WSB.
Friday’s 23-page ruling is in response to a motion filed in January by one of the lesser-known defendants, former Trump campaign official Michael Roman, who sought to have the indictment dismissed and the DA’s office disqualified from prosecuting the case.
The judge held a hearing in February that was nationally watched and featured surprise testimony from Willis, who offered a fiery defense of her actions.
But while McAfee ultimately concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove a conflict of interest, he said there is a “significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team.”
“This finding is by no means an indication that the Court condones this tremendous lapse in judgment or the unprofessional manner of the District Attorney’s testimony during the evidentiary hearing,” McAfee wrote.
“Rather, it is the undersigned’s opinion that Georgia law does not permit the finding of an actual conflict for simply making bad choices – even repeatedly – and it is the trial court’s duty to confine itself to the relevant issues and applicable law properly brought before it.”
Willis’ office has not yet indicated how it will respond, but Trump’s lead defense counsel Steve Sadow issued a statement Friday morning expressing disappointment in the ruling.
“We will use all legal options available as we continue to fight to end this case, which should never have been brought in the first place,” Sadow said.
In August, a grand jury levied felony charges against Trump and 18 other allies on accusations that they illegally conspired to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. The former president as well as the remaining 14 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, while four of the initial co-defendants have accepted plea agreements.
The outcome of the landmark case could factor into Willis’ bid for a second term as district attorney as she finds herself under a much brighter spotlight than when she won against Paul Howard in 2020.
Even with the judge’s ruling in Willis’ favor, the motion to dismiss has delayed the case by more than two months, complicating Willis’ attempt to start the trial by August, ahead of Trump’s expected rematch with Biden on Nov. 5.
Trump attorney, Steve Sadow, has indicated in an earlier court hearing that the defense attorneys plan to appeal if McAfee allowed Willis to remain on the case.
